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Trump and the US midterm elections

Fri, Nov 9, 2018, 00:09

Sir, – While Democrats crowed about retaking the House, President Trump said the election was “tremendous”. For once he did not lie. The Republicans’ addition to its existing majority in the Senate is in fact recognition of the president’s power and control. He is safe from removal from office even if impeached. With a Republican Senate he will be able to change the composition of federal courts throughout the country for a generation or more. We can expect to see judicial acceptance of even more voting practices that disenfranchise poor voters and voters of colour.

I had sincerely hoped that a massive turnout in this election would demonstrate that Americans had a moral centre, that they recognised the bankruptcy of the president’s and many Republican candidates’ clearly racist and misogynistic pronouncements. I was wrong. America has a leader who clearly craves power and does not heed the constitution as a rule-book. Watch for him to ignore calls by the House to produce information that could hold him to account, firm in the belief that “his” federal judiciary will be loyal to him. Dictatorship is now not that hard to imagine. – Yours, etc,

MURRAY HITZMAN,

Monkstown,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – Donald Trump has effectively sacked the US attorney general Jeff Sessions without publicly declaring a reason. Yet there is little doubt among observers in Washington that the firing was due to the unwillingness of Mr Sessions to obstruct the Mueller investigation. Mr Trump has already made several attempts at blocking any investigation into matters related to the 2016 campaign and any connected matters with the Trump organisation. Mr Trump has also fired an FBI director, an FBI deputy director and a US deputy attorney general. He has made constant threats of firing against another US deputy attorney general.

If Donald Trump has not already crossed the line into obstruction of justice, he is likely not far off from it. – Yours, etc,

DAN DONOVAN,

Dungarvan,

Co Waterford.

Sir, – Following Donald Trump’s bizarre performance at the recent press conference and his disgraceful treatment of the CNN reporter, should the media not now strike back by refusing to attend further conferences? The most efficient method of treating a bully is to ignore them. – Yours, etc,

MICHAEL O’CONNELL,

Listowel,

Co Kerry.

A chara, – For Fintan O’Toole (Opinion & Analysis, November 7th) to write about Donald Trump “bringing the Republican Party down to his level” is confirmation that the Left doesn’t do irony. The Left brought liberalism down to its own level, which is what made Mr Trump’s election possible. – Is mise,